China is pressing ahead with an insurance scheme to address medical disputes.

In recent years, disputes between patients and doctors have jumped sharply, and in some extreme cases, people have resorted to using physical violence against practitioners accused of medical negligence.

"To redress the situation, a third party, say the commercial underwriter, should be largely introduced to help divert potential responsibilities stemmed from medical disputes from the hospital and doctor," Vice-Minister of Health Ma Xiaowei said at a teleconference addressing China's medical administration and services yesterday in Beijing.

"Hospitals, State-funded and non-profit ones in particular, should feel obliged to have all their doctors under the protection of the insurance plan, which would definitely help mend a strained relationship between patients and medical workers."

Li Yuedong, secretary-general with the Chinese Hospital Association, told China Daily, that under the program, the insurance company will be also responsible for "the unsatisfactory service and the administration of the hospitals".

"After probe into medical disputes and certain verification, the insurance company would compensate patients instead of hospitals," Li said.

Currently, the insurance scheme is optional to all hospitals, public-funded and private. However, many have dropped out it due to a considerable annual premium.

Southwest China's Yunnan Province was the first to introduce this kind of medical insurance in 1999, followed by Shanghai in 2002, Shenzhen in 2003 and Beijing in 2005.

In another development, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security established the China Medical Insurance Research Association yesterday in Beijing.

The association will offer policymakers advice on medical insurance.

Wang Dongjin, former vice-minister of labor and social security and the association's secretary, said an ageing population, accelerated urbanization and diversity of employment are pressuring China's immature urban medical insurance system.

(China Daily March 30, 2007)